thing. If I had not (says he,) come and spoken unto them, and done among them the works which no other man did, though their disobedience to the law of God had been justly punishable, yet, in comparison of their present case, they had not had sin; but now, they have no cloak for their sin.* Could they have pleaded, as you, Sir, it seems would have taught them to do," We never had any reason offered to bring us to believe," I suppose, it would have been no despicable cloak for their infidelity. I cannot forbear saying, that it is a grievous outrage upon the character of our blessed Redeemer, to suppose him capable of talking in so wild, so false, and so inconsistent a manner, as this wretched hypothesis would imply. I should have too great a respect for the memory of Socrates, to advance, or admit, any thing so injurious to it. That the apostles also reasoned in the defence of their mission, is just as certain as that they preached and wrote; and indeed the fifth book of the New Testament is almost as much the history of their reasonings, as of their acts. The second chapter contains an account of their reasoning at Jerusalem, from the fact of the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost upon them, in comparison with the predictions of the Old Testament, both with respect to that, and to the resurrection of Jesus; from whence they strongly infer, that all the house of Israel might know assuredly, that God had made that same Jesus whom they had crucified, both Lord and Christ↑. The third, fourth, and fifth chapters relate their reasonings before the people and the Sanhedrim, from the cure of the lame man in the temple, as wrought in tha name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified. And it would be tedious, rather than necessary, to continue the enumeration of particular passages, in which we read of Paul's reasoning in confirmation of these great points; as we are told he did at Damascus§, at Jerusalem, at Antioch in Pisidia¶, and particularly at Thessalonica, where when his reasoning with the jews out of the scriptures for three successive sabbaths is spoken of, it is said to have been as his manner was**. You cannot but know, that as he continued this practice at Berea, the inhabitants of that place are greatly commended, for examining the force of his arguments, and searching the scriptures daily, whether these things were sott. His reasoning with the philosophers at * John xv. 22, 24. Acts ix. 28, 29. VOL. I. + Acts ii. 36. ‡ Acts iii. 12—16. iv. 10. § Acts ix. 22. Acts xiii. 16-41. ** Acts xvii. 2, 3. tt Acts xvii, la 3 S Athens*, from natural principles, to demonstrate the absur dity of image worship, is so conclusive and so noble, that I cannot suppose it to have escaped your notice or memory. I am sorry to be under the necessity of reminding you, that at Corinth, where he continued for a year and a half, he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbatht, at least for a considerable part of that time; that at Ephesus, he preached in the synagogue for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God; and after this, having separated the disciples, he disputed daily in the school of one Tyrannus, continuing this practice for the space of two years§; that he made his defence with great presence of mind, before the jews at Jerusalem; that he reasoned with Felix of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, in such a manner that he made him tremble, and pleaded with such strength of argument before Agrippa, that he almost persuaded him to be a christian**. And the history closes with an account of his appointing a day to the jews at Rome, in which they attended him at his lodging, and he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening+t. What the force and validity of these reasonings were, is not at all the question between us: it is sufficient, that the passages referred to demonstrate, that reasonings were used, and objections heard, directly contrary to what you, Sir, have been pleased to assert, (p. 39.) with as much confidence, as if you had never read these passages, or never expected that what you have written should be compared with the records to which you appeal. It is equally easy to shew, that the apostles reason in their epistles; and with what force, many valuable commentators have shewn at large. But as it would be out of my way to consider those reasonings now, I content myself with mentioning one passage, as a specimen of many more: I speak as unto wise men; judge ye what I say‡‡. A text, in which there seems to be a spring, that will not easily bend to your interpretation. But the whole New Testament is so full of reasonings, that it is quite superfluous to enumerate particulars. Now when these things are thus evident in fact, it signifies little to say, that the apostles had not time, or qualifications, to Acts xvii. 22-31. Acts xviii. 4, 11. Acts xxii. 1—21. ++ Acts xxviii, 23. + Acts xix. 8. Acts xxiv. 25. ‡‡ 1 Cor. x. 15, maintain an argument; and that in the nature of things it would have been preposterous for them to have attempted it. If what you say on these topics (p. 38-45.) were conclusive, when compared with what I have produced above, the conclusion would be something very different from what you professedly labour to establish:-it would shew, that the apostles acted in an irrational and preposterous manner. But I am in no pain for their reputation on this head, in consequence of any thing which you have asserted; for all your reasonings are built on a forgetfulness, or misrepresentation, of those topics of argument, on which the apostles laid the great stress of their cause. It is very true, that many curious and subtle questions in pneumatology, metaphysics, and ethics, might have been connected with some articles which the apostles taught; and a whole life might have been spent in canvassing all that a disputatious caviller might have objected. It was indeed beneath the dignity of an apostle's character, and inconsistent with his important work, to unravel all these cobwebs, thread by thread. Yet God was pleased to furnish them with the proper and rational means of sweeping them away, as it were, at once. Inspiration could, no doubt, have furnished them for a minute discussion of every artful sophism, and have taught them to range metaphysical arguments with an accuracy far exceeding that of Aristotle: but the generality of mankind was not capable of entering into such curiosities; and therefore it was an instance of great wisdom and goodness in the great Author of our religion, to furnish them with a much nobler kind of arguments, equally convincing to all candid and upright minds, which might soon be set in a very strong and easy light. And accordingly they insisted upon these.-They asserted, that God, having sent Christ into the world to be a divine teacher, raised him from the dead, after he had been cruelly slain by wicked and incorrigible men; that, quickly after this, he received him into heaven, from whence he had sent down upon them an extraordinary, divine influence, to instruct them in the truth, and to enable them to preach it to the world in a very convincing manner: in consequence of which, men were no longer under the necessity of investigating divine truths by the slow progress of philosophical argumentation; but were to come with humble simplicity of soul, to hear and receive what God by them taught concerning himself, and his Son, and the way of obtaining final and eternal happiness.-They never expected, that so important and comprehensive an assertion should be taken on the credit of their own word: but to shew, that God was indeed with them, and that he himself taught mankind by them, they wrought such miracles as sensibly demonstrated his extraordinary presence and agency.And that this might appear a scheme, long since formed in the divine mind, and intimated to men long before it opened upon them, they produced passages in the ancient and sacred books of the jews, in which their prophets had plainly described this Jesus as the Messiah, and marked out various particulars, which had an evident accomplishment in him; waving many other predictions, which could not so easily be ascertained and illustrated at that time, though future ages and occurrences have made them very considerable to us.-The apostles also urged, or frequently referred to, the excellent tendency of their doctrine to promote real virtue and goodness in the world, and the happy influence it had on those who sincerely entertained it, which made the acceptance or rejection of it a test of characters; as they often intimate, and sometimes expressly assert, that it was*. And from all these things, which were plain and evident, they most rationally inferred the obligation, which their hearers were under, to submit themselves to those doctrines, laws, and institutions of Christ, which they as his authorized messengers brought them, and to adhere to his cause whatever it might cost them. And all this they confirmed by communicating to great numbers of their new converts different gifts and operations of the Holy Ghost, that produced sensible effects; which might also tend to convince others, that the doctrine they had received was supernatural and divine. These particulars constituted, what one may call the apostolic demonstration; and they allowed their hearers a competent time to examine it. It is true indeed, the time and labour of these holy men were of too great importance, to permit them to make a long stay in places, where the inhabitants would not so much as receive them, nor give them an hearing, nor would the mild and peaceful genius of their religion allow them to endeavour, even by miracle, to force their continuance in any place, from which the magistrates and people joined to expel them. In cases of this nature alone, they were directed to quit Compare Rom. i. 16-18. vi. 17-22. viii. 2, 4. xii. 2. 1 Cor. vi. 9-11. 2 Cor. iii. 1, 2. iv. 2, 3. Gal. v. 18-24. Eph. ii. 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12. iv. 17—24. v. 6-14. Phil. ii. 15, 16. Col. i. 4, 5, 6, 9—13, 21, 22. iii. 4-10. 1 Thess. it. 1-10. v. 5-8. 2 Thess. i. 3-10. 1 Tim. i. 5. Tit. ii. 9-14. 1 Pet. i. 14-22. iv. 2-6. 2 Pet. i. 3, 4. 1 John i. 5, 6, 7. ii. 4, 5, 29. iii. 6-10. iv. 5, 6, 12. 2 John 1, 2, 6. v. 1-5, 19. them, with that striking circumstance, which you so much misrepresent, of shaking off the dust off their feet, in token of their looking on such despisers as devoted to certain destruction. But yet in other places, where any of their hearers desired their stay, and the rulers permitted it, they abode awhile with them; and if we may judge of the conduct of others by that of the apostle Paul, who seems one of the most active and itinerant of them all, that stay sometimes extended to months, and sometimes to years. During this time they were, so far as we can learn by the New Testament, willing to dispute publicly with all opposers, and to answer any objections which could be urged against the truth of their doctrine, and the authority of their mission, whether by Jews or Gentiles. And if, which we have no reason to imagine a common case, they sometimes cut short the debate, by inflicting on perverse opponents miraculous judgments, those punishments carried a rational conviction of the authority of the apostles: but I recollect no instance of a miracle of this kind on such an occasion, but that of Elymas the Jewish Sorcerer*, who probably opposed the gospel, either by lying wonders, or by misrepresentations of the Old Testament, of which a Roman governor could not easily judge: on either of which suppositions, there would be a remarkable propriety in this extraordinary step; in which instance, by the way, great gentleness was intermixed with the apparent severity, as it was only for a season he was deprived of his sight. If in cases, and with proofs like these, thousands were converted at a single lecture, as you express it, it is certainly to be ascribed to the validity of their arguments, in concurrence with the operation of God's spirit, to subdue their prejudices, and make them willing cordially to embrace, and courageously to confess the truth; of which, many who did not profess it, were no doubt in their consciences inwardly convinced. Yet I cannot think after all, that its success on the day of Pentecost, where so many peculiar circumstances occurred, is to be looked upon as a specimen of the rapidity with which it commonly prevailed. This, Sir, appears to me a just representation of the case : that which you have been pleased to make, in the pages last referred to, is very different; and I apprehend, it will be easy to shew, there are two material errors which attend it. It supposes the case to be determined much more difficult than it really was, and the assent universally required much more im Acts xiii. 6-11. |